Oxbow Lake
Vilas County, Wisconsin · WBIC 2954800
The DNR has advice about eating fish from this water. How much is safe depends on the fish and on who is eating it. Look it up on the DNR site
This lake has fishing rules that differ from the standard ones for its area. Check the official rules before you fish. Official regulations
Size
511 acres
Max depth
44 ft
DNR lake type
Complex, Two Story
Water clarity
9.2 ft
Moderate, measured Aug 2026
A deep lake type that can hold a cold layer below the warm surface in summer. This describes the lake type in general, not this lake in particular.
Outline
Numbered dots are boat landings; tap one for directions. The list below has the same numbers. Drawn from the DNR's 24K hydrography (surveyed 1982), so the shape is approximate and a landing can sit a little off the shore. Open the DNR lake map.
Water clarity
9.2 ft Secchi depthModerate
Last measured Aug 17, 2026. 106 readings on record, 1995 to 2026.
Typical summer clarity (June to September): 7.8 ft, moderate, from 47 readings (2012 to 2026).
Secchi depth is how far down a white disk stays visible. A bigger number means clearer water. Clear means a Secchi depth of 10 feet or more, moderate 5 to 10 feet, low under 5 feet.
Wisconsin DNR water monitoring (volunteer and staff), via the Water Quality Portal; station Oxbow Lake - Deep Hole. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Water temperature
Last measured Aug 17, 2026, too long ago to show as the current temperature.
A typical year Modeled estimate
- Ice goes outabout Apr 26 (Apr 17 to May 1)
- Surface reaches 48°Fabout May 5 (Apr 26 to May 11)
- Surface reaches 64°Fabout Jun 1 (May 29 to Jun 7)
- June surface68°F, usually 66 to 70°F
- July surface73°F, usually 72 to 75°F
- August surface71°F, usually 69 to 72°F
Forms a warm top layer around May 27, lasting about 115 days.
A computer model of this lake's typical weather and water, built from 15 years, 2005 to 2019. Ranges show the middle half of years. The model was not calibrated against measured temperatures for this lake. It is an estimate, not a measurement.
Measured: Wisconsin DNR via the Water Quality Portal (checked Oct 23, 2026). Modeled: U.S. Geological Survey lake temperature data release (doi:10.5066/P9CA6XP8).
Today at the lake
Forecast: National Weather Service (no endorsement implied). Sunrise, sunset and moon phase are calculated. The moon phase can be a day off.
Fish recorded near this lake
- Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus1989; 1 record
- Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus1989; 1 record
- Northern Pike Esox lucius1989; 1 record
- Pink Salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha1989; 1 record
- Rock Bass Ambloplites rupestris1989; 1 record
- Yellow Perch Perca flavescens1989; 1 record
Recorded in open fish survey and museum records (GBIF). A record shows a fish was found near this lake in that year, not that it is there now, and says nothing about how many. Most coordinates are rounded to about 1 km, so a record is attached only when one lake is the clear match.
Open fish survey and museum records from GBIF; datasets are listed on the sources page. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Boat landings
- 1Oxbow Lake AccessBoat ramp · Concrete surface · State(dnr)
Directions
Wisconsin DNR public boat access sites. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
More lakes in Vilas County
- Knife Lake1.1 miles away
- Lower Aimer Lake1.2 miles away
- Upper Aimer Lake1.3 miles away
- John Lake1.6 miles away
- Annabelle Lake1.6 miles away
- Horsehead Lake1.7 miles away
Where this comes from
- Size, depth and lake typeWisconsin DNR lake classifications, checked Oct 23, 2026
- OutlineWisconsin DNR 24K hydrography, checked Oct 23, 2026
- Regulations linkWisconsin DNR fishing regulations (linked, not restated), checked Oct 23, 2026
- Boat landingsWisconsin DNR public boat access sites, checked Oct 23, 2026
- Water clarityWisconsin DNR water monitoring, via the Water Quality Portal, checked Oct 23, 2026
- Typical-year temperatureU.S. Geological Survey lake temperature model (modeled estimate), checked Oct 23, 2026
- Fish recordedOpen fish survey and museum records, via GBIF, checked Oct 23, 2026
- Fish consumption advice flagWisconsin DNR advisory areas (flag and link only), checked Oct 24, 2026
- VHS statusWisconsin DNR VHS status by watershed, checked Oct 24, 2026
- Depth map linkWisconsin DNR lake maps list, checked Oct 24, 2026
See data sources for what each source covers, and about for how the numbers are matched to lakes.
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